Pygocentrus nattereri

Pygocentrus nattereri or piranha with red belly , is a Piranha fresh water of the river of the the Amazon and its affluents (Rio Negro, Río Madeira, Rio Xingu, etc), like in the basin the top Río Paraná and of its affluent the Río Paraguay. It can inflict the severe ones and mortals bites.

Very abundant species in South America: with the Brazil, the Peru, the Paraguay and in Argentinian.

maximum Length observed: 34 cm.
maximum Weight observed: 3.800 gr.

Lifestyle

One finds them in benches of several hundreds, even thousands of individuals, and generally out of calm water and " claires".

It is at the dry season that this Piranha is dangerous for the man, like besides the other species of the kind Pygocentrus. Trapped and gathered in great number in drained water points, the first attacks are of cannibal type, and are related to the weakest specimens of the group. At that time of the year, they are famished and all that is with their range and comes into contact with water is a potential prey. It is as at this period as they are most vulnerable. Indeed, wedged in a water which rarefies by evaporation and infiltration, they go back regularly to surface to absorb oxygen of which stagnated water lack cruelly. They are then preys dreamed for the raptors and other birds, like for the caiman S and other predatory, them too famished.

This fish is a species which adapts easily to the changes of environment. In Paraguay, this species is known to support winters during which the temperature of water is not higher than 5°C.

Maintenance out of aquarium

The piranhas with red belly ( Pygocentrus nattereri ) are frequently maintained in Aquarium. For aquérir these creatures, it is necessary to know some basic concepts.

To start, they are gregarious, therefore live in bench; a minimum of three individuals is necessary. For each one of them, it is necessary to envisage an approximate minimum of 100 liters water. The vat will have to count several hiding-places, because the piranhas are extremely nervous fish.

The aquarium in which you envisage to maintain P.nattereri will have to comprise a minimal filtration of 4 times the volume of the vat.

It is frequent that there is cannibalism. In order to avoid the accidents, the temperature must be enters 22 and 27°C. With an higher temperature, they are more aggressive.

The red meat is strongly disadvised, because they do not digest it very well.

References

http://piranhas-fr.com/ maintenance (in French)

External bond

Source file original of this article on Pygocentrus nattereri

Random links: